Adding a new provisioning profile to an existing TestFlight build

Question

So I've been using TestFlight with an app that's in development. And up until now, the Beta users haven't been changing that quickly, so it's been pretty easy to just add a new device to the provisioning file and post a new build whenever needed. But, we've recently started to quickly expand the pool of Beta users and posting a new build to TestFlight every time we want to add a new user doesn't seem like the ideal solution any longer. So I know they have the feature which lets you upload a new profile with a new device(s) in the new profile, which I'm trying to use. So at that point I then have the new user attempt to install the app and the TestFlight WebClip asks the user to install the new profile (since it's no longer embedded in the app like with the initial build/provisioning file). The user successfully installs the new profile but when going back to the TestFlight app/webclip, just repeatedly gets asked to install the profile again without being able to actually install the app.

OK, a complete walk through of the details:

• I build an app with the testUsers1.mobileprovision file and upload it to TestFlight.

• At some point later I add UserX to a new mobile provisioning file, testUsers2.mobileprovision.

• Under the permissions section of the old build, I use "Update profile" to load testUsers2 up to TestFlight.

• UserX then starts up the TestFlight webclip/app on their device.

• Rather than installing/downloading the app, TestFlight asks them to install the new testUsers2 provisioning file and the user does install the file.

• UserX then restarts TestFlight on the device and it again asks them to install the new profile instead of actually installing/downloading the app.

I've written to TestFlight asking for any ideas of what could be going wrong with this, but haven't received an answer yet. Anyone see what I'm doing wrong here? Or am I hitting a bug of some sort in the TestFlight Webclip on the device?

Update: I've traded a couple of emails with TestFlight and they've replied with "While we troubleshoot this issue, the best thing we can recommend is to re-upload the same build with the new provisioning profile associated with it. It will not create a new version, but will update the most current version in TestFlight."

So, hopefully they'll have an answer shortly.

Thanks,

Will

Answer 1

This is not possible anymore since the launch of iOS 8, check their support page Adding more testers to a build?:

Due to the changes in iOS 8, it's no longer possible for testers to install provisioning profiles from the iOS Settings app. App developers will now need to rebuild their Ad Hoc beta apps to update the embedded provisioning profile in the app's IPA file.

You will need to add a new build with the updated provisioning profile.

Answer 2

You don't need to create a new build each time the provisioning profile changes - all you have to do is download the updated provisioning profile from the the Provising Portal, then go to the selected build's page on TestFlight, click "Permissions", then click "Update Profile" and select the new provisioning profile file.

The problem you described is probably not related to the build's provisioning profie, but the WebClip itself - try deleting it in Settings -> General -> Profiles -> TestFlight WebClip, and install it again.